The 17 ” necklace below is completely reversible. Designed to hang with only one side of the hand crafted beads showing at a time. Each bead half was made separately from PMC. The stones were set from below the surface and secured with PMC sheet. Raised texture on side one is from a silicone mold of hot glue lines. Raised texture on side two is from a stencil cut from a notebook cover and punched with paper punches. The bead halves were then joined together and fired in the kiln. Once fired, I applied gold to the raised surface on the side with the sunstones, using the keum-boo technique. The opposite side is oxidized with liver of sulfur, and the raised dots are polished. The necklace also includes freshwater pearls and sterling silver beads. This necklace was a finalist in the PMC category of the 2009 Saul Bell Design Competition. It will be donated to the auction at the fund raising dinner for the Ubuntu Education Fund in New York on April 28.

Thanks Deanna! I think you will love PMC. I really do. I just got back from the Art Clay conference, and those people love that form of metal clay. I think the two kinds are comparable. The techniques translate to either form. I prefer PMC, but that may be because its the silver clay I started with. Good luck!

Wow, thanks Helen. I need to get back to more of the copper and bronze work. There are changes happening rapidly in the new world of those base metal clays. It is hard to keep up! If you like copper and bronze, you might be interested in checking out the link to Hadar Jacobson’s Website. I also have a link to her blog on my front page. I use her bronze and copper clay powders and she is a huge inspiration for me.

Hi Vera,
Thank you! I do not have a price list for the work on the Gallery page, but I have an Etsy site where I currently sell my work. I try to add to it regularly. Here is the link:http://www.etsy.com/shop/BarbFernaldJewelry
I also have a link on the front page of my blog.
By the way, my husband, Bruce, was the lobster fisherman who hired Trevor for a few years. He started writing the book during that time.

Hi again Barbara, I was wondering if the ear wires you used on the hollow rock earrings are made be you or do you buy them already made? I have been trying to find some like them in sterling for quite some time now. Your site looks great!! Amy

I buy the ear wires from a place called Abeada. They send out a monthly flyer, but they also have a Web site where you can actually see what you are ordering. Hmmm, makes me wonder why I still wait to order from their flyer! Duh. Here’s the page for the ear wires. I also buy most of my sterling silver beads from them. They let you combine sizes for the quantity break. So I can order 1000 3mm beads and then get the 1000 bead price for larger sizes even if I am only buying a few. Though, with the price of silver lately, I haven’t been buying many ss beads. xo B

Dear Barbara- I LOVE ALL YOUR PIECES- truly they are amazing. Now with Two necklaces to my collection on to earrings. Your site is wonderful and those family photo’s !! PERFECT!!! Thank you for making the most beautiful pieces of art that is wearable.
You have a wonderful eye and feel .
is image 1565 still available??? GOTTA HAVE IT!!!

Hi Margaret,
Thanks for all your kind words. The necklace image#1565 is one I made in August 2009, to provide a photograph of my work for an ad in Ornament magazine. Soon after, a friend of mine bought it for his wife. I have been making more of those silver clasps to use with some of my more recent silver and rock necklaces. One of the things I love about making these necklaces is that no two are alike. I usually make a batch of silver beads and just start pairing them with rocks I have already drilled. It can take me quite a while to find the combination I like. Right now I am low on silver beads and drilled rocks. (I am NOT low on undrilled rocks ha ha!) But, tomorrow is a fresh day in the studio.

Hi Barb,
(I am Stevie Q’s friend)
Hi Barbara,
Stevie told me that you took a glass lampwork class. Did you love it?
I am having a great time with my torch! Taking another class on this Sun.
Your recent photos are so great!
By the way, I had my carpenter friend build a display like yours, for my last gallery show. It looked fab! (Thanks for the idea!)
Enjoy the torch! Jean Ramsey

Hi Jean,
I loved the lamp work class. It was so much fun. I would love to set up a glass torch of my own. I wish I could use the oxy/acetylene set up I already have for soldering, but…I understand acetylene is too hot and too dirty. The place in Rockland where I took the class has an open studio night on fridays, so I could use their torches and anneal my beads there for $10 an hour. It seems like a reasonable thing to try before investing much in my own system. But I could be hooked really easily!! It was a blast.
I’m glad the display idea worked out for you. Where can I see your work?

Hi Barb – it’s Jonatha’s stepdaughter, Leslie. I lost one from a pair of your earrings :-( My absolute favorite pair that I bought on the island several years ago. If I email you a photo, can you make me another one?

Hope all is well with you, Bruce and kids. We miss Maine terribly – haven’t visited in about 4 years. Lots of great memories!

Hi Leslie,
Why don’t you e-mail me a photo and I’ll get back to you on if it’s one I can still duplicate. Things are going well on the island. The usual crazy busy summer, but this year it seems to be going faster than ever. In 4 weeks our son Robin is getting married up here. Lot’s of planning and the countdown is on. In four weeks we’ll have a daughter!
I hope you and your family are all doing well.

Hi Kristine,
Thanks for asking about my rock drilling. I actually posted a little tutorial on my blog.To get a cleaner hole on both ends I started to drill the rocks part way, and then drill from the other side to meet the first hole in the middle. It took some practice to match them up, but now I can do it about 95% of the time.
I just use a diamond drill bit and drill through water to drill the rocks. I do so many that I bought a drill press attachment for my flexible shaft. Below are the links to the drilling process I’ve come up with. I think the second one has more of the info you’re looking for, since you have already been drilling rocks partway.
Good luck!
xo Barb Fernald